My 14 Goals For 2024 – Week 49 of 52

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

What do you think… Do Billot Logs count as fruit? I mean, raspberries and coconut are fruit, right? So it would seem right like jelly rolls would fit under that category, right? 😉

Well, even if they don’t, I think I got my fill of fruits and veggies that past week while we stayed at the Le Château Frontenac thanks to the delicious daily buffet.

Visit 24 {new} Bakeries / Coffee Shops

We visited 3 coffee shops last week, Le Petit Dep, La Maison Smith, and another one I can’t remember. The first two were worth going back to. Especially Le Petit Dep.

New Bakeries / Coffee Shops I’ve Been To This Year {That I liked}

• Mike’s All Day Breakfast
• The Cookie Jar Pastry Shop
• Fortnum and Mason
• Ritual Bakehouse and Patisserie
• Caramel Patisserie
• Standard Baking Co. 
• Saltwater Farm Cafe
• Coffee Roasters of the Kennebunks
• Farine Bakery and Cafe
• Night Moves Bread
• Cape Porpoise Kitchen
• Fika
• Belleville Bakery
• Le Petit Dep
• La Maison Smith

Contribute to 12 Free Little Libraries. {9 down down, 3 to go}

I had good intentions of putting this stack of books in a little free library in Québec City, but forgot them in the car and didn’t notice them until we got back home. Gaaa. 

Oh well. I still have 3 libraries left and two weeks left to finish this goal. I think I can get ‘er done.

Towns I’ve donated books to:

• Snowshill, England
• Gardiner, Maine
• Nobleboro, Maine
• Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine
• Cape Elizabeth, Maine
• Raymond, Maine
• Bellevue, Washington
• Colorado!
• Portland, Maine

Spend More Time At The Beach

I went for a walk on the beach yesterday and found THREE buoys, 2 boards that would be perfect for signs, some black and white lobster rope, oodles of clam shells and a plastic bottle of root beer. 

Talk about a good haul!!!

Read or Listen to 24 Books {18 down, 6 to go}

This past week I listened to Olive, Again and then we listened to 17 Carnations on our drive to Québec City. 

I need to get crackin’ on this goal though if I am going to get through 6 more audiobooks in the next 2 weeks. 

Books I’ve Read or Listened To This Year: 

• Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise. 10/10
• My Girls by Todd Fissher 10/10
• The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron 9/10
• Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith 9/10
• Wait Till Next Year by Dorris Kearns Goodwin 8/10
• George VI and Elizabet:by Sally Bedell Smith 9/10
• Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson 9/10
• These Precious Days by Ann Pachett 9.5/10
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson 8/10
• Family Reins by Billy Busch 7/10
• Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz 9.5/10
• Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict 10/10
• White House By The Sea by Kate Storey 7/10
• Belgravia by Jullian Fellows 10/10
• Tom Cruise by Andrew Morton
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
• Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
• 17 Carnations by Andrew Morton

Paint 

Do you paint with acrylics? Is there a higher quality brand that you can recommend than the 50 cent ones they sell at Walmart and Michaels? 

I want to do some paintings this winter but I feel like maybe there is a better quality acrylic paint out there. 

I have no interest in using oils {takes too long to dry and winter is cold here and I don’t have the room to store wet oil paintings in the house}. A good acrylic paint is what I’m after. 

Can anyone help point me in the right direction? Or should I just stick with the cheap stuff?

Paintings I’ve finished this year:

• Portrait of Joseph Roulin 
• Red Boats at Argenteuil
• Regattas at Argenteuil
• Vase with Cornflowers and Poppies 
• Sunflowers
• Garden Path with Chickens
• Goldfish

Hook 6 “Big” Rugs.

I’ve started my last “big” rug for the year and I’m about halfway finished. Yee-Haw!

• Three Roosters
• Hidden In The Garden 
• Yankee Doodle
• Double Nantucket Whale Runner with the American flag
• Chicken Stroll

Visit 6 Greenhouses {4 down 2 to go}

No greenhouses this week. 

Grow Baby Grow

No garden veggies or beautiful flowers are in bloom, but we got snow last week. Lucy and I both LOVE snow!!! I’ll take as much as I can get of the white stuff. I love it. 

And I especially love the slow down that comes with it. It’s the perfect excuse to stay in my pj’s all day and work on crafts.

Donate to 12 Different Organizations in Maine

So Far This Year I’ve Donated To:

• Sarah’s House
• Grammy Rose Dog Rescue
• Cleaning Up My Local Beach
• New Hope MidCoast {50 pairs of new socks}
• Humane Society {180 trays of cat food}
• Travis Mills Foundation
• Camp Sunshine
• Honor Flight Maine
• The Dempsey Center
• Pink Feather Foundation

So how are YOUR goals for 2024 coming along? I’d love to hear about them. 

~Mavis

Goals I’ve Already Completed This Year

Go On An Adventure DONE

I went to England and had a jolly good time. Then the HH and I went to Québec City and had a good time there. I love to travel. Have I ever told you that?

In Stock and Ready to Ship by March 15th/ March 30th Now April 15th DONE!

I finally finished up all the major wool dyeing and pattern/kit making I had hoped too. All the “extra” wool is tucked away in bins so if I run out of wool in my Etsy shop I can whip up some more bundles in a jiffy. A summer off from dyeing wool… It’s going to be pretty rad.

Tidy Up / Clean Out / Purge DONE

We cleaned the whole house, inside and out. And then we sold it. Yee-Haw!

• Barn
• Garage
• Closets 
• Dresser drawers
• Kitchen 
• Sideboard
• DVD collection